Five Million Years to Earth (1967)
"Quatermass and the Pit" (original title)

An ancient Martian spaceship is unearthed in London, and proves to have powerful psychic effects on the people around.

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Writers:

Nigel Kneale (original story), Nigel Kneale (screenplay)

Stars:

James Donald, Andrew Keir, Barbara Shelley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Donald	...	Dr. Mathew Roney
Andrew Keir	...	Prof. Bernard Quatermass
Barbara Shelley	...	Barbara Judd
Julian Glover	...	Colonel Breen
Duncan Lamont	...	Sladden
Bryan Marshall	...	Captain Potter
Peter Copley	...	Howell
Edwin Richfield	...	Minister
Grant Taylor	...	Police Sergeant Ellis
Maurice Good	...	Sergeant Cleghorn
Robert Morris	...	Jerry Watson
Sheila Steafel	...	Journalist
Hugh Futcher	...	Sapper West
Hugh Morton	...	Elderly Journalist
Thomas Heathcote	...	Vicar

Storyline

While digging a new subway line in London, a construction crew discovers first: a skeleton, then what they think is an old World War II German missle. Upon closer examination the "missle" appears to be not of this earth! This movie examines the age old question of how we came to be on this planet. It is suprizingly scary.

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Plot Keywords:

martian | subway | london england | riot | paleontology | 

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Taglines:

Force more powerful than 1,000 H-Bombs unleashed to devastate earth! World in panic! Cities in flames!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

Hammer [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 February 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Five Million Years to Earth

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£275,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roney's mental image, seen on a small screen when the apparatus is being calibrated, is a shot from early in Four Sided Triangle, an earlier Hammer science fiction film.

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Goofs

Sladden is going back into the Underground dig site and the lights go out. He takes out his flashlight and someone from off-camera shines a light in front of Sladden to provide the appearance of light shine due to the underpowered flashlight.

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Quotes

Barbara Judd: We are the Martians now.

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Connections

Referenced in In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Ultima Ora"
(uncredited)
Music by Armando Sciascia
Sparta-Florida Music Group

User Reviews

highly recommended, story and acting exemplary.

I first viewed this film on American television under the title "Five Million Years To Earth". The reason I find this film so fascinating is because the producers had the courage to examine the possibility that evil does exist in the universe in the form of an entity, even though the story is written from an evolutionist perspective. This film basically asks the same question humanity has been asking for millenia: Where does evil originate, and why? Although relatively old and perhaps considered archaic by today's motion picture standards I feel the special effects are compelling enough to keep 21st century viewers, both young and old, riveted to their seats. An excellent film for those of a creationist persuasion as well.